The Honours of the Table, or, Rules for Behaviour during Meals; with the whole Art of Carving, illustrated by a variety of cuts; together with Directions for Going to Market, and the Method of distinguishing good Provisions from bad; to which is added A Number of Hints or concise Lessons for the Improvement of Youth, on all Occasions in Life. – For the Use of Young People -
John Trusler, John Bewick (illustrator)
1791 - for the author, London - Second Edition
Of all the graceful accomplishments, and of every branch of polite education, it has long been admitted, that a gentleman and a lady never shew themselves to more advantage, than in acquitting themselves well in the honours of their table; that is to say, in serving their guests and treating their friends agreeable to their rank and situation in life.
A scarce copy of this wonderful little work, first published in 1788, in the original marbled paper boards and illustrated with twenty-seven woodcuts by John Bewick, including wood-engraved Trusler coat-of-arms. Bound with the complete 12 page ‘List of Books by the Rev. Dr, Trusler, At the Literary-Press, No. 62, Wardour Street, Soho. 1792’’.
Reverend Trusler was a prolific author whose eclectic output included everything from tips on gardening to commentaries on Hogarth engravings. John Trusler (1735–1820), eccentric divine, literary compiler and medical empiric. Educated at Westminster and Emmanuel College Cambridge. On his return home he translated from the Italian several burlettas and adapted them to the English stage. One of these, he says, was ‘La Serva Padrona,’ or the ‘Servant-Mistress,’ of Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, performed in Marylebone Gardens in 1757; but it seems that the real translator was Stephen Storace.
Trusler took holy orders, becoming a priest in 1759. He was curate successively of Enford, Wiltshire, of Ware, Hertfordshire, at Hertford, at the Hythe church, Colchester, of Ockley, Surrey, and of St. Clement-Danes in the Strand. In 1761 Dr. Bruce, the king's chaplain at Somerset House, employed him as his assistant and procured for him the chaplaincy to the Poultry-Compter. He also held a lectureship in the city.
But clerical work did not exhaust Trusler's energies. In 1762 he established an academy for teaching oratory ‘mechanically,’ but, as it did not pay, he soon gave it up. In order to acquire a knowledge of physic he admitted himself a perpetual pupil of Drs. Hunter and Fordyce. He then went to Leyden to take the degree of M.D., but his name does not appear in the catalogue of graduates in that university. However, he either obtained or assumed the title of doctor, and he is frequently styled LL.D. He superintended for some time the Literary Society established in 1765 with the object of abolishing publishers.
In 1769 he sent circulars to every parish in England and Ireland proposing to print in script type, in imitation of handwriting, about a hundred and fifty sermons at the price of one shilling each, in order to save the clergy both study and the trouble of transcribing. This ingenious scheme appears to have met with considerable success. Trusler next established a printing and bookselling business upon an extensive and a very lucrative scale. At one time he resided in Red Lion Street, Clerkenwell. He afterwards lived at Bath on the profits of his trade, and subsequently on an estate of his own at Englefield Green, Middlesex. In 1806 he published at Bath the first part of his autobiography, entitled ‘The Memoirs of the Life of the Revd. Dr. Trusler,’ 4to. Only part i. appeared, and, it is said, the author sought to suppress it. - DNB
References: Pennell, My Cookery Books 163. Oxford, English Cookery Books 117. Bitting, Gastronomic Bibliography 466. Cagle, A Matter of Taste 1026. Simon, Bibliotheca Gastronomica 1476.
Duodecimo (15.7 x 10 cm) pp. 120, 12 (publisher’s advertisements). In original marbled boards with portions of family tree printed on them (we make the assumption that they are original because these rather unique marbled boards have been noted on other examples of the second edition). Re-spined with paper label to style, rear endpapers replaced. Condition: Fine in near fine binding with rubbing to edges of original boards, re-spined with paper label to style. Ref: 108009 Price: HK$ 10,000
A scarce copy of this wonderful little work, first published in 1788, in the original marbled paper boards and illustrated with twenty-seven woodcuts by John Bewick, including wood-engraved Trusler coat-of-arms. Bound with the complete 12 page ‘List of Books by the Rev. Dr, Trusler, At the Literary-Press, No. 62, Wardour Street, Soho. 1792’’.
Reverend Trusler was a prolific author whose eclectic output included everything from tips on gardening to commentaries on Hogarth engravings. John Trusler (1735–1820), eccentric divine, literary compiler and medical empiric. Educated at Westminster and Emmanuel College Cambridge. On his return home he translated from the Italian several burlettas and adapted them to the English stage. One of these, he says, was ‘La Serva Padrona,’ or the ‘Servant-Mistress,’ of Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, performed in Marylebone Gardens in 1757; but it seems that the real translator was Stephen Storace.
Trusler took holy orders, becoming a priest in 1759. He was curate successively of Enford, Wiltshire, of Ware, Hertfordshire, at Hertford, at the Hythe church, Colchester, of Ockley, Surrey, and of St. Clement-Danes in the Strand. In 1761 Dr. Bruce, the king's chaplain at Somerset House, employed him as his assistant and procured for him the chaplaincy to the Poultry-Compter. He also held a lectureship in the city.
But clerical work did not exhaust Trusler's energies. In 1762 he established an academy for teaching oratory ‘mechanically,’ but, as it did not pay, he soon gave it up. In order to acquire a knowledge of physic he admitted himself a perpetual pupil of Drs. Hunter and Fordyce. He then went to Leyden to take the degree of M.D., but his name does not appear in the catalogue of graduates in that university. However, he either obtained or assumed the title of doctor, and he is frequently styled LL.D. He superintended for some time the Literary Society established in 1765 with the object of abolishing publishers.
In 1769 he sent circulars to every parish in England and Ireland proposing to print in script type, in imitation of handwriting, about a hundred and fifty sermons at the price of one shilling each, in order to save the clergy both study and the trouble of transcribing. This ingenious scheme appears to have met with considerable success. Trusler next established a printing and bookselling business upon an extensive and a very lucrative scale. At one time he resided in Red Lion Street, Clerkenwell. He afterwards lived at Bath on the profits of his trade, and subsequently on an estate of his own at Englefield Green, Middlesex. In 1806 he published at Bath the first part of his autobiography, entitled ‘The Memoirs of the Life of the Revd. Dr. Trusler,’ 4to. Only part i. appeared, and, it is said, the author sought to suppress it. - DNB
References: Pennell, My Cookery Books 163. Oxford, English Cookery Books 117. Bitting, Gastronomic Bibliography 466. Cagle, A Matter of Taste 1026. Simon, Bibliotheca Gastronomica 1476.
Duodecimo (15.7 x 10 cm) pp. 120, 12 (publisher’s advertisements). In original marbled boards with portions of family tree printed on them (we make the assumption that they are original because these rather unique marbled boards have been noted on other examples of the second edition). Re-spined with paper label to style, rear endpapers replaced. Condition: Fine in near fine binding with rubbing to edges of original boards, re-spined with paper label to style. Ref: 108009 Price: HK$ 10,000